Last month, the London Orthotic Consultancy had the pleasure of hosting Elaine Owen’s two day Advanced Course in Paediatric Gait Analysis and Orthotic Management.

The course was presented and run by world-renowned physiotherapist Elaine Owen, MBE, MSc, SRP, MCSP, who runs monthly clinics at LOC. The two-day course was the advanced element of Elaine’s Course. It concentrated on the complicated gait problems associated to Cerebral Palsy and how they are managed effectively with AFO Footwear combinations.

The course was run by the Great Ormond Street Hospital who asked LOC to host the event as we have the gait lab facilities. Attendees included orthotists, paediatric physios and one orthopaedic surgeon. In addition we had two orthotists from the States who flew over for the event, and had stayed at our Kingston clinic for a week shadowing LOC’s orthotists.

Guests visit the new reception area as Elaine Owen teaches in the Gait Lab

Sam Walmsley, lead orthotist and director of LOC commented: “It went very well! The first morning was lecture-based, refreshing everyone’s memory about Elaine’s ground breaking approach to OSKAR (Optimal Segmental Kinematic Alignment Rehabilitation) lower leg orthotic management of some typical paediatric medical conditions. Then we started to see patients. Normally Elaine would see patients from the hospital hosting the course, and they would be wearing their existing AFOs. Course participants would then be invited to come up with their own prescription and Elaine would tell them if they were right or wrong. For our course Elaine introduced some of LOC’s patients and presented her diagnosis and a range of clinical algorithms to enable the course participants to prescribe after seeing the child walk barefoot in the Gait Lab. LOC then showed what our prescription was for the same patient and were able to show them the results of our efforts live.”

“I actually had the easy job because my patients that were coming in had been fitted and wearing their splints for a few months, but David Williams (one of our consultant orthotists who works hand in hand with Elaine) actually fitted some new patients an hour before they were introduced by Elaine. One of them was particularly amazing because the patient really struggled initially, Elaine had to step in and do her bit, basically teaching the child how to walk. By the end of the demonstration he was walking beautifully unaided. I should take this opportunity to thank the parents (and the children) for taking part so enthusiastically.

The feedback that we received from people who came on the course was really good. We were putting ourselves on the line so it was stressful. But to be able to demonstrate what we can do – live – was fantastic.”